Demontration for painting a tree.

Deciduous Trees

Using a Spritz Bottle

I use a Windex^© bottle with the finger pump. Just tap the plunger with short taps to make it "spit" water droplets - don't push too hard - you want droplets - not a spray.

1: Lightly draw the form of a leafy tree. Make the overall shape interesting and real.

2: Start by spritzing a variety of water droplets from a Windex pump spray bottle at the top of the tree. Remember to tap not push.

3: Mix yellow-greens with a flat brush. Hold the brush almost parallel with the paper with the flat part of the brush vertical to the paper. Use the corner of the brush - vary the brush pressure to put more or less pigment on the paper as you continue forming the tree. Leave "bird holes" to keep the tree from getting too solid looking.

4: Make circular strokes clock-wise and counter clock-wise, up and down and side to side - still keeping the brush parallel to the paper.

5: Continue spritzing and mixing darker greens on your palette and on the paper as you continue down the tree.

6: While areas are still moist drop in darker greens where the leaves would be in shadows. Let the paint run. If you get "blossoms" - use them as texture and guides to place darkest values.

7: Add the trunk and limbs last with a round brush and a rigger using a variety of browns.

8: Add some grass or rocks to "seat" the tree to the ground. This is a good practice subject to do. Save your best ones in a binder as a reference for later. Have fun with this exercise.

WATERFALL STUDY

Click Here for PDF File

Waterfall Study

    I've wanted to paint a small waterfall for quite some time. We have thousands here in the Pacific Northwest. Some are tiny and some are huge.

     Sometimes while fly fishing and walking up a creek I'll come across a waterfall that may have some potential as painting.

     I suggest that you take your camera, do some research where you might find some waterfalls in your area. Take a lunch, camera and spend a day on the banks

studying a small stream and waterfalls. Take numerous photos from different angles and times of day, then put them in your files.

Next do a number of sketches and value studies in a size that is comfortable for you to paint. Select the one that you like the best and paint it.

I've provided a PDF file for you to follow along as I painted this scene. You may print the pages and paint the same scene. Enjoy. Email a jpeg image of your finished piece. I may post it on the web site for a while.

	Larry Johnson's
	Watercolor Demos 1
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